THAI RATTAN IN THE EARLY 2000

Isara
Vongkaluang

1. Introduction

Rattan is a very important non-wood forest product of Thailand. The products from rattan are mainly used for making household goods, decoration and furniture. For years rattan has played a major role in providing job opportunities and enhancing the economic situation of some groups of the population, both in rural and urban areas. Nowadays, rattan products attract the interest of consumers inside and outside the country and it is believed that this interest will grow in the future.

Large quantities of raw material are needed by industry to produce rattan goods, and at the moment, there is some difficulty concerning the supply of rattan. Many people (especially those involved in the rattan industry, researchers and Government officials) began to realize that there was a possibility of the shortage of rattan canes in the future and are looking for possible ways to compensate for the rattan canes that are now being exploited from the forest. Unfortunately the basic knowledge about rattan in Thailand is quite limited; therefore, all possible information about this material should be collected so that there would be a good indication for better management in order to increase production in the future.

2. Thai Rattan in General

In Thailand rattan can be found mostly in the southern part of the country. Eighty-three species of rattans have been recorded for the whole country (Dransfield, pers. comm.). These rattans grow mostly in the moist evergreen forests from the lowlands to the top of the hills. Although seven genera can be found in the country (Calamus, Ceratolobus. Daemonorops, Korthalsia, Plectocomia, Plectocomiopsis and Myrialepis) (Vongkaluang, 1986), most belong to genus Calamus while the others occur in very limited quantity. The size of the canes varies from 3 mm to 15 cm in diameter, depending on the species.

Calamus longisetus, C. rundentum, C. peregrinus, C.s caesius, C. manan, and C.wailong. (Wai Nampueng) are the species of greatest economic importance. All these species are decreasing in quantity and it is becoming increasingly difficult to find them. One of the reasons for this is that in the past the required supply of rattans was collected exclusively from the natural forest. The forested area in Thailand has been constantly decreasing due to the increasing need of land for agriculture, as well as illegal encroachment on forested areas. In addition, rattans are considered to be only minor forest products and not given much importance compared to wood. There is almost no record of any action being taken in the past to prevent rattan from being exploited from the forest, or of any conservation measures being adopted with regard to species of economic importance. It can be expected that in the future the shortage of rattan canes will become a major problem and appropriate measures should be taken now or at the earliest possible opportunity.

3. Past Management

In the last 30-40 years, concessions to exploit rattans were given without limit. The canes were extracted from the forest easily and in large quantity, without a precise replanting scheme. A very limited number of rattans was planted by the Royal Forest Department (RFD) in the following areas:

1. The rattan plantation at I-sa-tia national forest Amphoe Rangae, Narathiwat. The total plantation area covers 1 230 rai (1 rai =0.16 ha or 196.8 ha). Calamus caesius has been planted in this area since 1968.

2. The rattan plantation under the King Project at Sukirin, Narathiwat. Calamus caesius was also planted in this area starting in 1980 on a total area of more than 2 000 rai (320 ha).

3. The rattan plantation at Ngoa waterfall, Amphoe Muang, Ranong, on a total area of 100 rai (16 ha) since 1979.

4. The rattan plantation at Khoa Tha Petch, Amphoe Muang, Surathani on a total area of 100 rai (16 ha) since 1979.

5. The rattan plantation at Kapoh waterfall, Amphoe Thasae, Chumporn, on a total area of 100 rai (16 ha) since 1979.

These plantations were mainly established on a preliminary trial basis at 4 x 4 m spacing.

At that time there were very few people interested in carrying out research on rattans. No basic knowledge was generated in spite of the huge amount of rattan being harvested from the forest. Lack of rattan research was one of the key factors since most researchers were more interested in carrying out research on forest trees rather than on minor forest products.

Later, when population pressure increased to turn forestland into agricultural use, rattan became evidently overexploited, but it was more difficult to replant it in the secondary forest because of unsuitable conditions of the land in comparison to the virgin forest in the past. However, there was still a demand for the canes on the part of the manufacturing industry and, therefore, certain quantities of rattan canes had to be bought from neighbouring countries so that the production line could continue.

The private sector and the Government sector then became aware of the shortage in supply of rattan canes. The Royal Forest Department and the Department of Agricultural Extension started again a planting programme in 1989. There were two projects at that time:

1. Seed orchards were set up in the following areas:

(a) Kao Soi Dao, Chantaburi - 300 rai (48 ha);

(b) Nai Chong, Krabi - 1 150 rai (184 ha).

2. Rattan plantations were set up in the following areas:

(a) Kao Sok, Surattani - 2 300 rai (368 ha);

(b) Kao Bunthat 1, Trang - 750 rai (120 ha);

(c) Kao Bunthat 2, Trang - 750 rai (120 ha);

(d) Sakaerat, Nakornrajsima - 200 rai (32 ha).

The RFD expects to plant more rattan in the future, while the Department of Agricultural Extension is distributing rattan seedlings to the people to grow them in their homestead. Additionally, the private sector is looking into the possibility of setting up rattan plantations in the forests or in rubber plantations and hope that this can materialize very soon. Much research has now been carried out in the area of:

However, research is being carried out on a short-term basis due to lack of funding. Therefore, basic knowledge is available but still very limited. It could be expanded in the future once proper management requirements and gaps in research are identified.

4. Present Management

In Thailand there is no special management practice for rattan. The Royal Forest Department is the only organization that has the direct responsibility to look after this resource, especially in protected areas. In the past the people received concessions to extract rattan from the forest, but nowadays the forest is officially closed and such extraction is forbidden. Therefore, in terms of in situ conservation, the genetic resource and its biodiversity should presumably be plentiful. However, this is not the case because large quantities of rattan are periodically harvested illegally from the forest. The Royal Forest Department is well aware of the situation and since 1991 has tried to establish enrichment planting of economically valuable rattan species, e.g. Calamus rudentum, C. longisetus, C. latifolius, C. caesius, etc., on at least 1 000 rai (160 ha) per year (Appendix 7). This is, however, much less than the resources depleted. Tests were also carried out by the Forest Industry Organization and Office of the Rubber and Replanting Aid Fund on intercropping rattan with rubber trees. Early results looked very promising but the system did not find acceptance among the farmers. There is the plan in the future to educate the farmers through extension programmes on the benefits gained from intercropping so that it can be accepted by them.

In the northeastern part of Thailand, many people cultivate rattan (C. viminalis) for shoot as food, along with their cash crop. Rattan is planted and harvested when it is about 18 months old. The shoot, which is about 1 m tall, is cut to the ground level, the sheath is peeled off and the uppermost part of the shoot is used for consumption. However, this kind of rattan is cultivated on small plots and its shoots are consumed mainly by the local people. The Royal Forest Department is now launching an extension programme on growing edible rattan in the north and aims at extending it to the central plain and also to the south because this species of rattan can be grown using the same practices as growing vegetables.

5. The Role of Rattan in the Country's Economy

Rattan is a plant whose parts are almost all useful. For example, the skin is good for weaving and also as a binding material and for furniture making; the canes are used to make household materials, furniture and sport equipment; the cores of the canes are good for weaving and the leaves are used as curtains, roofing material, for weaving, etc. In general all the parts serve as basic raw material for making furniture and utensils that generate good income for the population and also for the country.

The important role of rattan in the country, according to its utilization and economic value can be classified as follows:

Rattan is exported only in the form of furniture and production of rattan furniture for export is supported by the Board of Investment. In 1999, the total export value of rattan furniture amounted to B 121 million.

Rattan utilization, both locally and for exports, has a positive economic impact for the following reasons:

· Generates earnings;· Increases job
opportunities for the population, extending from cottage industry level to
the manufacturing plant level;· Decreases imports of furniture made of
any material;· The trend to establish rattan plantations for raw
material supply in the near future will help increase the forested area and
also provide better job opportunities for the local people.

6. Resource Base

Even though rattan products generate a good income for the country, there is always the problem concerning the supply of raw materials, especially from the forest. As mentioned before, collection of rattan from the natural forest is prohibited by a number of Forest Acts. Therefore all rattan used by the industry is mainly imported from abroad. Domestication would seem necessary but, since the Forest Acts impose many constraints to obtaining permission to establish plantations and the right to harvest the rattan from the plantations, the private sector is not willing to invest in such an uncertain venture and, therefore, prefers to order the raw materials from abroad for their regular need and processing in the factories. The Government has become aware of this problem but its efforts to plant more rattan in the natural forest every year, mainly for conservation purposes, has not alleviated the raw material problem. Intercropping with rubber trees has also been tried, but it does not seem to be popular among the farmers. Actually the area of rubber plantations in the country [12 million rai (1.92 million ha)] has great potential and would be a good opportunity for the farmers to get value added from their plantations. In this case, proper extension programmes and management from the Government sector would be very important and should be a good chance to increase the rattan plantation area of the country. The only domestication which seems successful is small-scale production of edible rattan shoots (C. viminalis) in the northeastern part of Thailand, but this kind of production is of local importance since it meets only the specific taste of the people living there.

7. Harvesting and Processing

In the past rattans were harvested from the natural forests, mainly in the protected areas, by the villagers living along the border of the forest. Harvesting was done in groups of 10-20 people who would go into the forest and find the rattan, harvest by cutting it at the base and pulling it down from the tree, cut it into pieces and pull the cut canes, sometime by elephant, out of the forest. The harvesting period could be any time in the year except during the rainy season.

After rattan was harvested from the forest, it was piled together. The small stems were put to dry in the sun while the large-diameter canes would be transported directly to the manufacturing plant. When the material was used in local households or at the village level, the large canes would be boiled in diesel or used lubricating oil while the smaller canes would be dried in the sun and fumigated with sulphur. At the industrial level, processing was done by boiling the cane in a mixture of diesel and used lubricating oil. Then they were dried in the sun for one to two weeks and kept in storage until use. But nowadays, since the raw material used in rattan manufacturing industries is mostly imported as semi-processed material ready to be used in the production process, the canes are no longer treated in any factory. Treatment to prevent borer and stain fungi, if needed, consists in adding insecticide, mostly of the synthetic pyrethroid group, and fungicide, such as IF-1000 and TCMTB, to the boiling oil.

8. Export and Import Situation

Thailand imports rattan in the form of cane and furniture. In both cases the quantity fluctuates from year to year, especially for rattan canes. Export of local rattan canes has been prohibited since 1978. The quantity and value of manufactured products are also decreasing (Appendix 3).

Since rattan furniture from Thai manufactures is of high quality, the demand for it is high but production is decreasing due to lack of supply of the raw material. Major consumers are worldwide (Appendix 6). Major rattan manufacturing companies, working for the export market, were granted investment promotion certificates. According to the Government policy, the company that is granted an investment promotion certificate will obtain certain benefits and rights in order to promote its products. There is, however, an important restriction so that the company is not permitted to sell its products within the country.

In Thailand there are skilled labour and manufacturers with proper technical knowledge to operate and assemble the various product lines of rattan. Rattan products, mainly in the form of furniture, are exported to Germany, United States, France (Appendix 4) and various other countries worldwide, totalling 115 countries in 1999 (Appendix 5). Statistics from the Custom Department indicate that in 1999 the top five nations that imported rattan from Thailand were Germany, United States, France, Maldives, and Belgium. Altogether they spent B 67 million out of a total export value of B 121 million of rattan products. Therefore, if Thailand could have a sufficient and steady supply of raw material, the manufacture of products from rattan could bring benefits to the country's economy and also create more job opportunities for the population. Unfortunately, since the raw materials have to be imported and the supply is sometimes limited and uncertain, the income generated from this product fluctuates accordingly.

The key stakeholder in rattan trade is the private sector. A few companies, such as Hawaii Thai Co. and O.S.C. Industry Co., are among the major exporters and have been present on the international market for decades. Trade in rattan and access to the international market is currently very complicated due to competition among countries and inadequate raw material supply. As a consequence, many manufacturers are turning to the utilization of other raw materials that are more easily accessible, such as straw, water hyacinth or even plastic.

To remedy the above situation, promotion of rattan plantations for sustainable raw material supply is recommended. However, since rattan plants need at least 8-10 years before harvesting, consideration should be given to looking into the utilization of other raw materials as rattan substitutes and action should be taken to maintain a proper level of production.

9. Policy and Institutional Aspects

9.1 Social aspects

In the past rattan played an important role for the villagers from a social point of view. Normally groups of people in the village would gather and produce various household products from rattan. These products were beautiful and also showed the art and culture of the nation; they were either sold locally or sent to the markets somewhere else within the country. Later on, because of their good quality, they were shipped abroad and became very popular. Orders came from countries both in Asia and Europe. Trade in rattan products was prosperous for some time and it made a good return both at the local and national level.

However, in the past few years, the trend of production and marketing of rattan at the village level has been declining. Most of the people in the younger generation have a different attitude; they are not interested in the art and craft of the rattan as was the older generation. They feel that rattan production does not provide adequate income in terms of number of hours spent to make one piece of product. Therefore the only people in the village who are still working with rattan are the old and, therefore, production is decreasing and, in some villages, this activity is being replaced by others.

9.2 Institutional aspects

In the past rattan was harvested from the wild by various groups of people who had been given the right from concessions by the regional forest offices. Presently the forest is officially closed and no more concessions are given. The rattan being used by the industry comes from abroad. In order to promote rattan manufacturing, some manufacturers are supported by the Government through the Board of Investment which grants them some privileges for their investment in this business.

However, since the resources are diminishing and skilled labour is also decreasing, the Government may need to consider ways and means to overcome these problems. To date the Department of Industrial Promotion, Ministry of Industry, has tried to educate the people through extension programmes while the Royal Forest Department is planning to plant more rattan every year. However, participation from the people is lacking and the result generally is not satisfactory.

Presently the Government sector which mainly deals with rattan is the Department of Industrial Promotion, while the Royal Forest Department is the only organization that looks after the national forest where most of the rattan grows . Since most of the Thai forests are Government-owned, they are under the supervision of the forestry officials under the Forest Act, the National Park Act and the Wildlife Sanctuary Act. According to these laws, it is almost impossible to extract rattan from the forest. In the past the private sector seemed eager to plant rattan but there were limitations, such as long-term investment needed, inappropriate area for planting, strict laws and regulations regarding rattan extraction from the forest, etc. For these reasons, the industry prefers to import cane from neighbouring countries (Appendix 6). In the near future the Forest Plantation Act and the Community Forestry Act are expected to be put into effect and this may be a good opportunity to enhance rattan growing since these acts would allow landowners to plant rattan on their land; however, the area where rattan can be planted and the allowable quantity are not known.

The question is, how can we manage to get enough supply of canes to meet demand? A possible answer could be the sustainable management of natural stands. But how? Research and management could provide the answer.

In view of the increasing depletion of the natural forest, the socio-economic importance of rattan for the villagers and the high export value of rattan products, it is necessary to identify the areas where new research needs to be carried out, as well as to continue research along the following lines:

When appropriate knowledge and techniques are available through research, then management plans could be set up. Plans must be drawn up both for short-term and long-term objectives along, with their operational procedures. The plans must indicate how to achieve the goal that whenever a quantity of the rattan is harvested, at least the same quantity of rattan is grown in the shortest possible time.

11. Conclusions

In the future the demand for rattans will increase, but the difficulty will be to ensure that supply will meet demand. In order to cope with this problem, various types of research should be carried out. However, organizations and researchers interested in rattan are very few and, therefore, very little research on rattan has been carried out in Thailand so far.

There is a great need for basic research, especially with regard to growth, seeds, regeneration methods, appropriate silvicultural methods, including properties of potentially valuable species. Results from such research could lead to the successful establishment of rattan plantations that could satisfy the increasing need for the raw material. In addition, appropriate management schemes must be set up in order to ensure that there are enough funds, manpower and proper operational procedures for sustainable production of rattan from the natural forest.

REFERENCES

Custom Department. 2000. The import and export statistics of Thailand.

Uhl, N.W. & Dransfield, J., 1987. Genera palmarum: a classification of palms based on the work of H.E.Moore Jr. pp610. The International Palm Society & the Bailey Hortorium, Kansas.